SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE THROUGH ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE (original) (raw)

PROCEEDINGS OF FIRST INTERNATIONAL AND MIDDLE EAST CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABILITY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development may be defined, from an Islamic point of view, as a multi-dimensional process that seeks to strike a balance between economic and social development on one side, and the environment on the other. It seeks for humans to use resources in the best possible way. There are numerous citations from the Qur’an and the hadiths (sayings of the Prophet Mohammad) that mentioned the wise utilization of natural resources. They all lead to the conviction that all elements, species, habitats and ecosystems are part of the perfect universe created by GOD. Hence ,respecting the law of nature and all its components is an obligation of every Muslim, who by definition has “submitted” himself, body and soul, to the Creator. Depending on the main Islamic concept in the Qur’an “And remember when He made you successors after the 'Aad and settled you in the land, [and] you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes. Then remember the favors of Allah and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.” ( Al-'A`rāf, 7:74), this paper tried to discuss the main principles of Islamic roles that deal with nature as a main resource to architecture and built up area and human as a wise and rational consumer for these resources. The paper aims to increase awareness to the importance of the theme of sustainability in architecture by expounding the core of the conceptual basis for the same. It also presents some general principles and ideas around which a comprehensive theory on sustainability in Islamic architecture, in line with the requirements of the Islamic worldview while fully conforming to the dictates of different circumstances, environments and cultures, can be developed today. To deal with such an issue , the paper will try to project the built environment and architecture of the old resident area of Mosul city within the Islamic principles of living to investigate how Islam deals with such an environment and its resources sustainably